Panasonic camcorder help?

Question

i have a panasonic mini dv PV-GS29 camcorder and it records and takes pictures. i got the usb cord and plug it into my camcorder and then the computer, but nothing pops up and my computer doesnt read it. i need help also do i have to have the camcorder on or off. if anyone has this problem and knows how to fix it please help. and i have windows vista if that matters.

Answer 1

Switch the camcorder on and put it into Play (VCR) mode, then connect the USB cable, then plug it into the computer. This hot-plugging should alert the pc to the connection and you should be able to get your pictures off. Don't expect to copy the video tape clips across though because USB isn't the best way to do that with MiniDV. Best to use firewire, if your computer has it.

Answer 2

Transferring - rather, importing - DV from the camcorder to your computer using USB won't work. You need a firewire cable to connect the camcorder's DV port to the computer's firewire port. If your computer does not have a firewire port, hopefully it has an expansion slot so you can add one.

When the connections are made, nothing will "automatically" happen. You need to launch your video editor and import or capture the vide... the camcorder needs to be in "Play" or "VCR" mode. With a Panasonic, you may also need to be plugged into AC power.

USB is used only for transferring still pictures from a memory card or for web-streaming.

A USB/firewire converter/adapter will not work.